


Howling for You

by relised



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: ALL THE ANGST, Angry Sex, Blind Harry Potter, Bottom Harry, Full Moons, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, Top Draco, Werewolf Draco, bill Weasley is the resident werewolf expert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-06-14 15:02:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15391332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/relised/pseuds/relised
Summary: The Dark Lord may be dead, but that doesn't mean the war is over.When Harry wakes up in the Hospital Wing after his magic rebounds, he's blind. Absolutely blind. Poppy tells him it is likely permanent, but they would try their best to heal him.Draco wakes up after getting attacked by Greyback. He's severely disfigured and Bill Weasley tells him feel better better after his first full moon.While everyone else is busy trying to finish the war, Harry and Draco have no one else to turn to but each other. So what if that turns into something else.





	1. Chapter 1

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry struggled to hold his wand steady as the green and red lights collided. He could feel the sweat rolling down his face, his arm shaking dangerously as the green swelled. He threw one last burst of energy into the spell and suddenly something felt different. Harry's magic swelled into the air, overpowering the Dark Lord.

As the man crumbled, Harry's magic rebounded. A yellow light flew straight into his skull, the light blinding him. His head felt like it was going to explode and he couldn't help but cry out. The pain buckled him at his knees, falling the ground grasping at his temples. His magic lashed out, causing the ground below him to crumble. Harry let out one last cry of pain as he fell, his hands grasping for purchase that wasn't there.

  
****  
They told him the Weasley brother's found him.

The second Potter had dropped from Hagrid's arms, very much alive to the surprise of everyone, his mother had grabbed his hand. She pulled him towards the apparition point, any apparition point, trying to get there before the chaos cleared.

"Draco, we have to move," she had hissed, dragging him along as he tried to track Potter's movement. He nodded, staying close to her as they ran. They didn't get far before his hand slipped from her grasp, the crowd of panicked bodies keeping them apart. A strong set of hands landed on his upper arm, dragging him into a secluded alcove near the Quidditch pitch.

Ron, Bill and Charlie had agreed to go on patrol once the dust settled down. They had needed something to do; anything was better than watching George sob over his twin or have their mother hold them just a bit too tight as if if she let go they would be gone too. Ron couldn't stand sitting outside the infirmary, listening to Madame Pomfrey fighting to save his best friend. So they had set out, their heads bowed in silence as they went.

Patrol was mostly silent. The war wasn't over by a long shot; even with Voldemort being dead, those who followed him were still strong. A silent truce had been called for the night allowing both sides to collect their fallen soldiers. Ron was just getting ready to suggest they head back to the castle for some long overdue sleep when he noticed a figure crouched over an unmoving body.

"Greyback," Bill growled, aiming his wand at the feral werewolf. Ron squinted his eyes, trying to figure out who the body belonged to when he noticed a shock of white blonde hair in the puddle of blood.

"Blimey, that's Malfoy," he breathed out, lengthening his stride as he moved toward the pair. Ron raised his wand, ready to stun the man but Bill beat him to the punch. Greyback flew through the air where he crashed into a stone pillar, breaking his back before he landed at the base. Without a second look, Ron skidded forward, falling to his knees at Draco's side.

"Merlin," he mumbled, taking in the carnage in front of him.

"He's still breathing," Charlie said in a hushed voice, taking in the shuttering breathes the blonde struggled to take. Greyback had slashed at his face and torso, the cuts so deep you could see bone. His right arm seemed to be pulled out of the socket. Along the boy's left side, just below his rib cage was a deep bite gushing blood. "We've got to get him inside."

Ron stared down at his classmates broken body, his eyes wide. Charlie had his wand out, murmuring quietly as he tried to slow the blood. After a moments hesitation, he scooped Draco up into his arms, moving slowly to keep from making his injuries worse. Draco cried out, his eyes squeezing shut as his left arm hung limply away from his body. Ron swallowed thickly as blood washed over the Dark Mark inked into the boy's skin.

"Ron!" Charlie yelled, pulling his attention back to the here and now. "We've got to move. Clear the way." Ron nodded, jogging ahead of his older brothers, pushing people out of the way as they got closer to the castle. "Has he always been this thin? He feels like he weighs less than Crookshanks."

"Well that cat could stand to go on a diet," Bill mumbled, his wand held aloft against any possible threats.

"Move, people, move!" Ron yelled, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Charlie was still behind him. He took the stairs two at a time, yelling for Madame Pomfrey as soon as he hit the landing. He threw open the door to the Hospital Wing, holding it open for Charlie. Charlie deposited Draco on the first empty bed he could find, looking around for the nurse.

Madame Pomfrey glanced over he shoulder as she finished wrapping the bandage around Harry's eyes. She gently pulled the blankets up, tucking them under his arms before turning away to her new patient.

****  
Ron pushed his way into the Prefect's bathroom, falling to his knees in front of the toilet as he heaved. He could hear footsteps behind him followed by running water. He hugged an arm to his stomach as he vomited everything he had ate in the past day until all he had left was bile. He sighed, sitting back with his thighs resting against his ankles as cold hands placed a wet paper towel against his neck.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked quietly, gently pushing his hair out of his face. Ron let his head fall back, resting against Hermione's side as he tried to catch his breath.

"Harry..." he finally whispered, staring up at his girlfriend.

"Madame Pomfrey's doing the best she can. But the rebound of the spell...It did a lot of damage. It's going to be a waiting game to figure out what's wrong and what's permanent. He's...he's going to have a long road in front of him..." Ron nodded, pushing himself to his feet. He crossed the bathroom, leaning heavily on the sink. He rinsed his mouth out before splashing water on his face. The red head took in his reflection, meeting Hermione's eyes in the mirror.

"Greyback bit Malfoy," he said quietly, turning slowly to look at her.

"What?" She asked, shock clear on her face. She had been in the infirmary when the brother's had came bursting through the door, but hadn't stayed to hear what happened.

"We found him out by the Quidditch pitch. Bill stunned Greyback. I thought Malfoy was dead...I thought he was trying to ravage his dead body like he did La-Lavender. Maybe it would have been better if he died..."

"Ron..." Hermione said quietly, pulling Ron into a hug. He stooped, letting his head rest on her shoulder as tears leaked out of his eyes. "He may have made a lot of wrong choices, but he didn't deserve to die."

"No, that's what I mean. He's still a human being even if he's always been a scrawny little git. But Harry said he didn't think he would have actually gone through with killing Dumbledore that night. And he lied to Bellatrix that night at the manor. He doesn't deserve to get turned into a werewolf, 'Mione. His life is already ruined, imagine adding werewolf to his resume. Maybe it would have been better if he died to he wouldn't have to suffer."

Hermione stared at him for quite a while before a small smile crossed her face. "Who are you and what have you done with Ronald Weasley?"

"War changes a guy," he whispered, pulling her in close.

****  
Draco wasn't sure when he regained consciousness. He felt like he was on fire, every nerve raw to the touch. He opened his eyes slowly, immediately squeezing them shut when the bright light hit him. Gentle hands pulled at his arms, dabbing at the gushing blood that covered his torso.

"Draco?" A unfamiliar voice said, the tone light. "Draco, can you hear me?" He moaned, trying to twist out of the way of the hands touching him but everything hurt. He coughed, blood spurting from his lips as he gasped for air.

"Draco, dear," came a voice he recognized. Madame Pomfrey, his mind supplied. "Draco, sweetheart, you're going to be okay. Charlie-the pain. I've given him all the numbing potion that is safe. I need you to focus on the pain." A vial was held to his lips and Draco couldn't help but drink the cold contents as they were tipped into his mouth.

The unfamiliar voice continued to murmur quietly and the pain slowly receded. It wasn't enough to end the pain entirely, but enough that he could open his eyes. A red headed man with long hair and a beard hovered over him, blue sparks admitting from his wand soaking into Draco's body. Madame Pomfrey was close by, gently applying essence of pearl to the deep wounds.

"I've gotten them as sealed as I can, Poppy. He's lucky Greymark didn't rip out any of his internal organs," Charlie said. He had stepped up immediately as soon as he realized the nurses magic had been depleted caring for Harry. He had a pretty good understanding of healing magic; working with dragons meant that life saving interventions had to happen right away. There wasn't time to wait for a Healer.

Draco whimpered, once again trying to pull away from the nurses hands. Charlie waved his wand, picking up the bandages Bill had gathered. He moved behind Poppy, slowly wrapping the bandages around Draco's chest. He doubled and tripled the layers, wrapping them tight to keep the blood from leaking through. Poppy picked up square of gauze, pressing it lightly to the gashes across Draco's face. They started just below the boy's left eyebrow and ended just above his right jawbone, slicing through his bottom lip. She taped the gauze across the deepest part on his cheek and a smaller piece below his lip.

"Shh," she whispered, cupping his uninjured cheek as he sobbed. The deep wounds pulsed with his heartbeat and he still felt like he was burning alive from the inside out. The nurse pressed another vial to his lips and he recognized the taste of Dreamless Sleep. "Rest, Draco. Just close your eyes. The pain will be over soon. Just rest."

Just as the boy shut his eyes, falling under the influence of the potion, a scream rang through the air. Harry was awake.

****  
He couldn't move. He couldn't catch his breath. He couldn't see, couldn't open his eyes. His head pounded and he was sure that at any moment his skull was going to explode. His legs were weighed down by heavy objects and he could feel blood oozing out of multiple cuts on his body. He didn't know where he was, but he had to move. They were in the middle of a war.

Harry wrestled his hands free of their confinement, patting at his face to clear his vision. He rubbed at his eyes, his head swimming further as the pain gripped him. He could feel a blindfold wrapped around his eyes as he tried to sit up. He grasped at the edge of the blindfold, yanking it down. He couldn't help the scream the ripped from his lungs as the pain coursed through his body.

"Harry, stop. Lay back, you're safe. You're safe, Harry."

"Voldemort. I've got...I've got to.." Harry moaned, his feverish skin full of pain as cold hands touched his arm.

"He's gone, Harry. You did it, he's gone. But you were gravely injured and I need you to lay back." A blanket was pulled up around him once more, trapping his flailing arms in there grip. Strong hands tipped his head back as a vial was placed to his lips.

"No! I've got to fight him. He's going to kill everyone!" Harry gasped, struggling against the hands holding him.

"Shh, Harry. You're okay. There's no one to fight. You just need to sleep." The vial was tipped into his mouth and the boy sputtered on the thick liquid before swallowing. "Sleep Harry. Just sleep." He tried to fight, but soon unconsciousness took him.

****

"They should both be at St. Mungo's, Minerva," Poppy said as she fell tiredly into her desk chair. She took the offered cup of tea and picked up a scone as she watched the Headmistress. The witch was leaning forward, her elbows on her knees with her steepled hands resting below her chin. "Taking care of one of the is a serious drain on my magic, let alone both of them."

"We cannot send Draco to St. Mungo's with that Mark on his arm. The war is still going even without Harry and Riddle. We send him to Mungo's and it's as good as signing his death warrant; The Death Eaters will want to silence him and our side will try to kill him for being on the wrong side."

"Leaving him here may be signing his death warrant as well. The full moon is in three weeks, Minerva. With the injuries he has now, the transformation may kill him. Charlie and I have done all we can, but those wounds will need time to heal. The bite...the bite was so deep I could see the bottom of his rib cage. There are specialists at St. Mungo's who could help him."

"Those specialists were transferred to a confinement camp outside of Dublin when the Death Eaters overtook the ministry, Poppy. We may have won some aspects back, but the Werewolf camps and registration process is still running. If we send him to that hospital, we will be sending him straight to a confinement camp. He has to stay here. I'll have Bill come and speak with him once he wakes; he is the closest we have to a werewolf specialist at this time."

Poppy sighed, knowing her friend was right. She glanced though her office window, watching the two prone bodies sleeping soundly.

"And what about Harry," she said quietly. "His eyes, Minerva. I don't think he'll ever see again...Surely it would be better to send him to St. Mungo's. They might be able to reverse the damage."

"I fear the only place safe for Harry is with us, Poppy. Bellatrix has taken over command of the Death Eaters. She'll be after him soon. With Harry being unable to see or defend himself, we'll have to keep him safe. That has to be done here. I will help you research a cure, I'll send word to some of Dumbledore's contacts. There has to be something."

"And if we're not able to return his vision?" Poppy asked, finishing the last of her tea.

"Well then he's likely to bring this entire building down with his anger and out of control magic," Minerva said with a sad simile. "We've have to find a way to return his vision or a way to keep him calm."

With a snort, Poppy opened the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a bottle of fire whiskey. "After the past two days, I think this is needed," she said, pouring Minerva a glass before pouring one for herself.

The two witches sat silent for a while, slowly drinking down one glass before pouring another. Minerva turned her chair so she could see through the window behind her. She watched as Draco twitched in his sleep, his face scrunching in pain. She watched Harry as he burrowed he head deeper into his pillow, as if trying to stay out of reach of an imaginary force.

"I can't help but wonder if this was what Albus expected to happen. If he thought that even after Voldemort was killed, the war would still be going on."

"There is no way Albus could have known, Minnie," Poppy said, giving her friend a sad smile.

"I found one of Severus' memories in the Pensieve in Albus' office. He told Severus that Harry had to die to defeat the Dark Lord. He raised that boy for slaughter. All of these year, he told me Harry was the key to winning this war. I never thought he meant this."

"Well clearly part of his intel was wrong, as Harry is very much alive."

"The boy has just been so much Poppy. I had hoped that once the Dark Lord was defeated, things might start to look up for him. Clearly, I was wrong."

"They both are going to have a hard road ahead of them," Poppy said, her eyes locked on Draco and Harry. "But maybe if they learn to lean on each other, it might not be so hard."


	2. Chapter 2

Draco woke slowly, his mind foggy as he tried to figure out where he was. The bed below him was soft and the blankets warm, which was a welcome change from sleeping in the dungeons of the Manor since the Dark Lord had moved in. He tried to roll onto his side and suddenly his mind caught up with the situation. Pain radiated through his body feeling like fire flowing through his veins. His skin itched and he could feel some of the deeper wounds pulsating with his heart beat.

With a shaky breath, Draco lifted the hand not in a sling to his face, feeling the thick bandage stretched across his left cheek. He winced at the pain of pressure on the gashes beneath and his eyes welled with tears. He couldn't stop the cry of pain that escaped his lips as he tried to keep the sobs at bay. Hearing quickened footsteps rushing to his side, he clenched his lips together to keep any further sounds from escaping, covering his eyes with his arm.

"Draco," Professor McGonagall said quietly, gently brushing his hair out of his face. "How is your pain?"

"It hurts," he moaned, flinching away from the warm hand touching his already burning skin. Professor McGonagall summoned a small vial to her from across the room, pressing it to his lips. The pain ebbed slightly, clearing his head. Once the vial was empty, she helped him drink some water. As soon as the cold water hit his lips, Draco tried to gulp the liquid down. "Slowly, Draco. You'll make yourself sick."

He sat back heavily on the bed, panting slightly. Professor McGonagall summoned a chair from across the room and placed it next to his bed. She watched him quietly, waiting for him to make the first move. Swallowing thickly, Draco let his head fall to the side and met the woman's eyes.

"He...did Greyback...He bit me didn't he?" Draco finally asked, his voice shaking. McGonagall's pursed her lips to a thin line before she nodded.

"I'm afraid he did, Draco." He took a shuddering breath, nodding slightly. He must be in shock, he thought. There was no other excuse as to how calm he was. Maybe McGonagoll had put something in the potion? He slowly raised his hand to his face, once again pressing at the bandage on his cheek.

"How...how bad is it?" He asked as the Headmistress gently pulled his hand away from his face, holding it to the bed.

"There were some very deep scratches. Some of the gashes on your face and torso were deep enough to see bone. The bite was very deep as well, and it took some of the muscle from your side."

"Will...Will they scar?" Draco asked, pulling his hand away to touch his face again. He didn't know why it mattered; if he was a werewolf his life was ruined anyway. No one would every want to be with him so why did his looks matter?

"I...Yes, Draco. They will scar. By the time the Weasley brother's got you to the hospital wing, you had already lost so much blood that the focus was on keeping you alive rather than aesthetics." Draco nodded, closing his eyes. "The full moon is in two and a half weeks. We're trying to get you healed up as much as we can by then and to try to increase your strength. But this won't be easy. We have someone working on the Wolfsbane Potion. Bill will be coming to speak with you tomorrow about what to expect. Someone from the Ministry Registration program will be here later this week. We're doing all we can to make this as easy on you as we can."

"Why haven't you sent me to Mungo's?" He asked, letting his hand fall heavily onto the bed. He squirmed slightly, his skin feeling too tight on his small frame.

"It's not safe for you there," McGonagall said gently, and when Draco opened his eyes he saw the woman staring at the Mark on his arm. He twisted his arm slightly so the Mark was pressed to the blanket, but he understood her meaning. Sending a former Death Eater into a place like St. Mungo's would be a death sentence for him. Squeezing his eyes shut against the sting of tears, the blonde boy took several deep breaths trying to calm himself.

"I want...I want my mum," he whispered finally, flinching away from the gasp his former professor let out at his admission. "I...where's Mother? Does she know?"

"We haven't been able to track your mother down, Draco. There have been some rumors that she is being held at your Aunt Bellatrix's home. Harry may have defeated the Dark Lord, but Bellatrix is determined to continue the war." Draco's blood ran cold, his eyes flying open as he stared in shock.

"She lied...Mother lied to the Dark Lord in the forest about Potter being dead. I lied to them about recognizing Potter at the Manor. We were trying to get out...trying to turn sides. Dumbledore...Dumbledore had said we were welcome before...We were trying to help the Light."

"It's okay, Draco. We know," McGonagall said, taking his hand in hers and squeezing slightly.

"But if Aunt Bella knows...If she knows she'll hurt Mother." McGonagall nodded, understanding clear on her face.

"We'll do our best to get her out of their sooner, rather than later. I promise." The Headmistress reached for a small table next to his bed and pulled two vials towards her. "This is a blood replenishing potion and it should help with your strength some. And this is Dreamless Sleep."

"I don't want to sleep; I need to know what's going on," Draco whined, wincing when a yawn slid through his lips. He stifled a whimper at the pain the action caused. The Headmistress raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed, taking the first vial she offered him.

"You need to rest, Draco. You're body is at war with itself and going into a full moon this weak is dangerous enough." He opened his mouth to fight, but he was already slipping off into sleep.

****  
Hermione stared down into the cauldron before her, the steam causing her hair to grow frizzier by the minute. Biting her lip, she turned back to the potion book, picking up a quill to scribble notes in the margin.

"I'm not sure if this is right, Professor," she called to the stout man in a motor board hat in front of her. "Is this what it's supposed to look like before you add the Aconite?"

Slughorn murmured a stasis charm on his own potion before crossing the room. He stirred Hermione's potion, a thoughtful look on his face. "Did you add 2 drops of Dragon blood or 3?"

"Two," she said, furrowing her brow as she looked down at the book. "I didn't want to make it too strong."

"Let's add that last drop," The Potion Master said, nodding as the young witch did as he said. After a few more stirs, the potion took on a light magenta color. "That looks perfect, Ms. Granger. I believe you are safe to add the Aconite now."

Hermione did as she was asked, taking a step back as the potion smoked. The potion quickly started to simmer and Hermione added her own stasis charm before dropping heavily into a nearby chair.

"I...What if it's not right? The Aconite could kill him if it's not right," She asked, running a shaking hand through her hair.

"So far, it look perfect, Ms. Granger. It will just need to simmer for another week before he will need to start taking it. Especially as this is your first time brewing the Wolfsbane Potion. You are extremely talented."

"But...He's so weak, Professor. This is supposed to help him but what if it kills him? I don't want to be responsible for that. I can't be responsible to make this potion for him each month." Slughorn sighed, pulling a small bottle of wine from his desk. He poured a portion into a glass for Hermione before taking a drink from the bottle.

"I will help you make it as much as possible, Ms. Granger, but I'm busy trying to fulfill all the other potion needs for the War. We need someone with a steady hand to prepare this for young Mr. Malfoy each month, and I trust you to be that steady hand."

Hermione stared down at her glass, swirling the wine around inside. She took a large gulp before looking up at Slughorn. "I...I wish Professor Snape was here. He's... He was Draco's godfather. He would be the best to make the potion for him. He would make sure it was right."

"I know, Ms. Granger. I often think the same thing. But alas, it is just you and I at the moment. We'll have to do our best to be there for the boy. For Draco and Harry." Hermione swallowed thickly, her voice shaking as she responded.

"Have you found anything? To fix his eyes, that is?"

"Poppy and I have some plans, but nothing concrete as of yet. His magic is still unstable, and we must wait for his injuries to stabilize before we can began to heal the damage. I have a few tonics we can try, as well a salve to help with the muscle loss in his leg. It will take time, Ms. Granger. Time and patience."

"Two of Harry's least favorite words," Hermione said with a small grin, finishing her wine. "Is there anything else you'd like my help with?"

"I could actually use some help preparing some Dreamless Sleep, if you wouldn't mind." She smiled, pulling another cauldron to her as she started to collect ingredients.

****

Harry floated in and out of consciousness.

He could hear quiet voices murmuring above him, talking of blindness and muscle loss, of permanent injuries and methods to keep him safe. He could fell pain pulsating through his body, exploding like a fire as light finger tips touched his skin.

He could hear snakes hissing around him, no longer able to understand what they said. It felt like scales were dragging across his sore limbs, pinning them to the bed.

He could see flashes of green lights behind his eyelids, a too familiar voice screaming the Killing Curse at him over and over again.

Harry lost track of the number of times he woke screaming, unable to open his eyes and see that he was safe. He'd wake, thrashing in the blankets, screaming in fear and in pain. Gentle hands would tilt his head back, pouring potion after potion down his throat as quiet voices assured him he was safe.

Day after day he would wake, trembling in fear, needing to see that the ever present threat wasn't lingering over his bed. And day after day, they would drug him back to sleep, trapping him in his dreams with no way to escape.

****

The next time Draco woke, a sleeping Weasley sat next to his bed. Draco furrowed his brow, staring at Ron as he snored slightly, his head threw back and his arms crossed over his chest. Draco shifted on the bed, failing to swallow the whimper that woke the red head in the chair.

"Mal-Draco," he said, sitting up straighter.

"They said you found me," Draco said flatly, searching Ron's face.

"I, uh...Yeah. Bill, Charlie and I did." Draco nodded, dropping his gaze. "And Charlie helped Madame Pomfrey heal you; he works with Dragon Keepers and is pretty good at healing spells. Poppy had spent so much of her magic that day healing others, so Charlie helped-"

"You should have let me die, Weasley," Draco interrupted tiredly, locking steel grey eyes with Ron's light blue. The youngest Weasley boy sucked in a shocked breath, sitting back on the chair stunned. He stared down at his hands, taking a few shuttering breaths before glancing back up at Draco.

"I-I thought you were dead," Ron started quietly, never looking away from Draco's face. "We had caught Greyback trying to...trying to eat some of the dead earlier. Like Lav...He killed Lavendar Brown and then ate her guts...When we found you, Greyback was on top of you. There was so much blood and you were so still I was sure you were dead. It was only when Bill stunned Greyback did we realize you were still breathing and it's not like I could wake him and ask him to finish the job." Draco flinched, looking away from the honest face in front of him.

"I'm not going to thank you for saving me," the blonde finally whispered. Ron nodded, scrubbing a large hand over his face.

"I know," he answered, nodding his head. "I know it would have been easier if you had died. But you're alive Draco. No matter how hard it's going to be, you're not alone. Not anymore."

Draco opened his mouth to argue that he didn't need their help but was cut off by a whimper from across the room. Pushing himself up slightly so he could see past Weasley's tall frame, Draco could see a pale Potter writhing on his bed, his hands twisted in the sheets. The boy seemed to be fighting against an invisible force, sweat covering his skin. Ron sighed, looking like he was going to go to his friend, but the nurse beat him to it.

"What's wrong with him?" Draco asked quietly, watching as a potion was poured down the boy's throat and Poppy gently pulled his hands way from his face to keep him from snagging the bandages wrapped around his eyes.

"When he killed the Dark Lord," Ron began, dropping his head in his hands. "His magic rebounded and burned his retinas. Poppy doesn't think he'll every see again. His magic is unstable and every time they try to heal him too much it lashes out, so they haven't even been able to try to heal his eyes...Then with the magic rebound, the ground crumbled below him and he was trapped. Took Kingsley a bloody long time to rescue him. His right leg got pinned and took a good chunk of his thigh in the process. It's...it's another thing Poppy's not sure if they're going to be able to heal."

Draco swallowed thickly, falling back on his pillow slightly out of breath. He wrapped his arm around his middle, feeling the missing chunk of his side that the werewolf had ripped out. "He doesn't sleep well, does he?" Ron shook his head no. "Why don't they give him Dreamless Sleep?"

Ron sighed, glancing back at Harry. "I don't know why I'm telling you this...Dreamless Sleep doesn't work on Harry. He's always been prone to night terrors...Besides You-Know-Who killing his parents as an infant, he didn't have a good childhood. He was raised by these awful muggles and I think they abused him. He doesn't talk about it.

"Anyway, he used to take it pretty regularly. But after the Triwizard Tournament, he started taking it all the time and he built up a tolerance for it. Poppy had to wean him off of it since the shit's so bloody addictive, and now it doesn't do anything but keep him asleep trapped in the dreams. Poppy tried it on him again after the Final Battle but nothing had changed."

Draco closed his eyes, understanding how easy it was to become addicted to the potion. Severus had only ever let him take two a month, regardless of how bad things had become. He began to open his mouth to ask Ron more questions but was cut off when another Weasley stepped into his view.

"Why don't you go get some sleep, Ron. Draco and I have a few things to discuss," the pale man with deep scars across his face said. Ron nodded, giving Draco a small smile. The older Weasley sat in his place, offering Draco a reassuring smile as he pulled a large book out of his bag. "I'm Bill. Bill Weasley; I don't think we've actually met before."

"Are...are you a werewolf?" Draco asked, flinching at how dumb that sounded. Bill laughed slightly, a sad smile on his face.

"Luckily, no I'm not. There was some question if I'd turn after Greyback attacked me, but he never bit me. But as Remus has passed, I guess I'm the resident werewolf expert for the time being. I can't tell you what it will exactly feel like to change, but I can tell you what Remus told me before my first full moon." Draco nodded slowly, reaching out with a shaky hand to take the book Bill offered.

"Remus gave me this; he said this had the most accurate information. You only have about two weeks to read it, so I've marked some of the more important sections to focus on."

"What's...what's going to happen to me?" Draco asked quietly, avoiding meeting Bill's eyes.

"Slughorn is preparing the Wolfsbane potion for you. You'll need to start taking it a week before the moon; It tastes disgusting, but it will help you stay in your human frame of mind during the transformation as much as possible.

"We have an enclosure set up in the dungeons where I'll take you for the transformation. It's reinforced, so there's no risk of you getting out. Supposedly, for the first time the transformation starts at dusk; later Remus said if typically begins once the moon reaches it's highest point in the sky. It always lasts until dawn though. I'll stay with you, making sure you don't hurt yourself. I'll have a pain potion ready for you as soon as your transform back; unfortunately it doesn't work if you take it before."

"Does...does the moon effect you?" Draco asked, his eyes roaming Bill's face and his scars. Bill gave him a small smile before nodding.

"Not anywhere as much as it will you, but I can still feel it's pull. The virus is dormant in my veins, but it makes me pretty irritable and tired, but nothing much more than that. Typically, werewolves don't get along with each other, but I stayed with Remus a few times when he changed. I always stood outside the cage, but it didn't seem to bother him."

Draco nodded again, scratching absentmindedly at his thighs. He hissed at the feeling, his skin burning to the touch.

"I do remember that, though. The relying like you're burning alive from the inside out. Like you're skin is too tight and every little touch hurts. That's why Remus was so sure I'd change. For me, it ended after the first Full Moon. For you, it will clear for most of the month, but will likely start again the week before the moon.

"You'll be pretty tired after the moon; in a fully healthy state Remus could bounce back in 2-3 days. With how injured you are right now, it might actually take a couple moons to feel back to normal. You should rest as much as possible; let everything heal as much as it can."

The two men sat silently for a few moments, Draco staring at his hands. Madame Pomfrey had removed the sling from his arm earlier that day, stating the dislocation had healed. His main injuries just remained the deep wounds covering his body. Finally, he turned and looked Bill in the eye.

"Why are you helping me?" He asked, his voice nothing more than a whisper.

"Because no one deserves to go through something like this alone." Draco gave him a sad smile before burrowing further into the bed.

"There's one last unpleasant thing I need to tell you, Draco," Bill said, leaning forward on his chair. "As the war is still going on, the Registration of Magical Creature Depatment is still in power. Minerva tried to keep this all secret, but the Ministry is unfortunately aware of your condition. Someone will be coming to register you into the system tomorrow afternoon. It's...It's not a pleasant process..." The older man pulled his sleeve up slightly, showing him the ID number burnt into his skin horizontally across his wrist just below where his hand met the wrist. _DWW140896_.

Draco reached out with shaky fingers, tracing the scars. "Dormant Werewolf, turned August 14, 1996," Bill said quietly, shrugging slightly. "They'll mostly ask about your transformation plans; how you plan on getting the potion and what not. You'll also have to have a sponsor; both Minerva and Charlie have put their names down for you." Draco opened and closed his mouth a few times, his eyes wide with shock. "I'm telling you, Draco. We're not going to let you go through this alone. Now, you need to rest. I'll make sure Poppy brings your a good meal later on."

****  
Harry woke slowly, feeling almost lucid for the first time in days. He swallowed thickly, choking on his dry throat.

"Harry?" A familiar voice asked, and he sighed in relief as Hermione took his hand. She pressed a straw to his lips, and he quickly drank down the cold water she offered. "How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"My leg...My head..." He croaked, raising his hands to the bandages covering his eyes. Cold hands gently circled his wrists, pulling his hands to his sides. "What happened?"

"You-Know-Who is dead," Hermione started slowly, cupping Harry's left had in both of hers. "You killed him, but when you did so...There was some kind of magic rebound that struck back at you. Your...It damaged your retinas, burned them really. I...Madame Pomfrey and Professor Slughorn are trying to find someway to cure it, it just might take sometime...

"When the magic hit you, it caused the ground to go out from beneath you. You were trapped under the rock fall for ages before Kingsley and Professor Flitwick could get you out. You...You're leg was severely damaged. You lost a lot of the muscle and I'm afraid that's permanent. You'll probably walk with a limp at best..."

Harry sat silent for a moment, open and closing his mouth like a fish. He squeezed his best friends hand as the panic welled up inside of him. He dug his free hand into his right thigh, whimpering at the pain that shot through his leg. "I'm blind," he said, his voice coming out in nothing more than a whisper. "I...I'm blind?"

"Oh Harry," Hermione whispered, gently rubbing one hand up and down his arm. "It might not be permanent. You have to stay calm or Madame Pomfrey will knock you out again."

"We're in the middle of a war, Hermione!" Harry cried out, his voice cracking as he tried to sit up. "How am I supposed to stay calm?" Hermione sighed, gently pushing him back onto the bed by his shoulders. She sat on the edge of the bed, gently running her fingertips up and down the side of his face.

"Harry, you've done your part. You've done more than we could ever ask for you. Let us take care of the rest; You focus on you and we'll handle the rest. It's going to be okay." He chewed on his bottom lip, his shoulders shaking slightly. His damaged eyes didn't seem capable of producing tears, and for the time being Harry thought that might be a blessing. Finally he nodded, clearing his throat before speaking again.

"Okay...Is everyone else okay? Ron? Ginny? Neville? Luna? Professor McGonagall?"

"Everyone is fine, Harry," Hermione said, straightening the blankets wrapped around him. "After you fell there was a temporarily truce. No one else was injured. Bellatrix has restarted fighting, but it's been pretty tame so far."

"Thank Merlin," Harry whispered, nodding slightly. Stuck in darkness, he could only see the memories of his fallen friends as he had walked into the Forbidden Forest. Hermione cleared her throat and Harry could feel her fidgeting next to him. "What's wrong?"

"It's Malfoy," she said quietly. Ron, Bill and Charlie found him after the battle out by the Quidditch Pitch. Greyback had gotten ahold of him."

"Fuck..." Harry whispered, his mind going to a crying Draco in the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom over a year prior. "Is he...Is he dead?"

"No, he's still alive. He's actually in the bed right across from you. Somehow that monster didn't kill him. But he did bite him...mutilated him really. Poppy is afraid he might not make it. The Full Moon is only two weeks away and he's so weak..." Harry swallowed thickly, shifting further down into the bed. He choked out a whimper as his thigh twitched, his grip on Hermione's hand tightening. "Oh, Harry. You should be resting. Here, this should help with the pain."

"Don't give me any more Dreamless Sleep," he begged, his hand reaching out to grab her arm and missing. "Please, I have to be able to wake up."

"It's not, I promise," Hermione said, pressing the vial to his lips. "It's just a normal numbing potion; it'll make you drowsy, but it won't keep you asleep. Just try to get some rest." Harry nodded, the pain already clearing as he slipped off to sleep.

****

Draco woke to a gentle hand on his arm. Bill sat on the edge of his bed, a small, encouraging smile on his face. Behind him, two ministry officials stood, shifting impatiently. Draco startled when he realized on of the officials was the middle Weasley brother.

"Draco," Bill said, his voice low. "These men are from the Registration of Magical Creatures Department from the Ministry. They're here to do your registration." Draco sat slowly, his head swimming from the change of position.

"Okay..." He whispered, taking the glass of water Bill handed him. After a few sips, he glanced at the red head. "Can you stay with me?" Bill glanced at his brother, the latter who rolled his eyes but nodded. Bill gave the blonde a small smile before moving to a near by chair out of the way. Percy waved his wand, erecting a sphere of silence around his bed.

"My name is Agent Tomwell," the other man standing next to Percy said. "We have some questions for you before we'll do the marking." Draco nodded, glancing at Bill before looking back to the ministry officials. The short, dark haired man pulled out a Quick Quote Quill, clearing his throat before continuing. "Please state your full name."

"Draco Lucius Malfoy," he stated quietly.

"Date of birth?"  
"June 5, 1980."

"Wand specifics?"

"10 inch Hawthorn with unicorn hair. But I don't know where it is; Potter took it from me before the Final Battle..." The agent nodded, glancing at the parchment to make sure the quill had caught that.

"Date of bite?"

"I..." Draco glanced at Bill, the question clear on his face. "I've was unconscious, I'm not..."

"May 2, 1998," Bill supplied, not looking at his brother.

"And the wolf that bit you?"

"Fe-Fenir Greyback," Draco stuttered out.

"We have record that Charles Weasley and Minerva McGonagall have signed on to be your sponsor." In the corner of his eye, Draco could see Percy flinch. "Headmistress McGonagall has stated that the school Potion Maser will be preparing the required Wolfsbane Potion for you. She also stated that there is a prepared enclosure for you that had previously been used by deceased werewolf Remus Lupin. Do you agree to these conditions?"

"Yes," Draco whispered. Tomwell nodded, discontinuing his quill. He reviewed the form before turning it Draco and holding out a regular quill. Draco took the offered quill, his hand shaking slightly as he signed on the required line. Tomwell rolled up the parchment, turning giving Percy a nod as he backed away from the bed. Percy moved forward, pulling his wand from his sleeve.

"Please present your left arm," he said. Draco did as he asked, trying to keep the limb from shaking. The Dark Mark still covered most of his forearm, as black at the day it was burnt into his skin. The blonde jumped as Tomwell firmly held his shoulders, pushing him slightly into the bed.

"It's okay, Draco," Bill said gently, watching the boy in sympathy. Draco gulped, closing his eyes as Percy muttered a spell under his breath and a red light appeared at the tip of his wand. Draco gasped as the light burnt into his skin. The brand wasn't as painful as the Dark Mark had been, but in his weakened state it was excruciating. It took everything he had not to scream.

The blonde whimpered as Percy continued burning his new ID number into his skin. Tomwell pinned him to the bed, keeping him from thrashing. Draco choked on a sob as Percy finished the last number, twirling his arm with a flair as he smiled. "It's infused with silver," Percy said, a slight grin on his face. "Keeps it from fading on werewolf skin over time."

Draco stared down at the ID burnt into his skin, running horizontal across his wrist. _WW020598_. The tears silently rolling matched the small drop of blood running into his hand. Bill moved closer to him, placing a calming hand on his back.

"Is that it?" Bill asked Tomwell, ignoring his brother.

"For now, yes. We'll check in with Mr. Weasley and Mrs. McGonagall after the Full Moon. Should something come up before then, do let us know." Bill gave a small nod, glaring at Percy as his brother led the way out of the Hospital Wing.

As soon as the door shut, Draco let out a sob. The brand was throbbing, and when he turned his arm he could see the glint of silver in the burn.

"Shh, it's okay, Draco. The pain will stop soon. Here, take this. Dreamless Sleep. You need to rest." Draco didn't fight as Bill gently manhandled him into a laying position, tucking the blankets around him. Draco swallowed one last sob as he slipped off into oblivion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone's still floating in and out of consciousness this chapter, but things will pick up next chapter. Thank you for all you support so far!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: self-harm, suicide attempt.

Draco had been wallowing in self pity all day, not answering any questions Madame Pomfrey asked him. His new brand had finally stopped pulsing and he had spent most of the morning glaring at the ugly cluster of Marks on his left arm. Across the room, Weasley was quietly talking to Potter, but Draco could feel the red head glancing at him every so often.

All anyone had been saying to him over the past few days was how close the full moon was as if he didn't already know. Both Pomfrey and Bill had lectured him extensively about how dangerous the first transformation was to be and how important it was to let them fill him to the gills with blood replenishing and strengthening potions to build up his strength. Draco didn't understand why they cared so much; his life was over. No one would care if he died during the full moon. If Draco had his way, he'd never make it that far.

Taking a deep breath, he swung his legs to the side of the bed. He flinched when his bare feet hit the cold stone floor and he sat for a moment to get used to the feeling. Before he could lose his nerve, Draco pushed himself to his feet. He grabbed the bed post as he swayed slightly, his legs trembling under his weight. Trying to hold his breath against the pain, he started the slow shuffle to the bathroom at the end of the ward. He stumbled slightly as he passed Potter's bed.

"You okay, Malfoy?" Weasley asked, the wood of his chair screeching across the stone floor as he jumped to his feet. He was already moving towards the boy when Draco held his hand up to stop him.

"I'm fine, Weasel. I can make it to the loo by myself," Draco sneered, trying to swallow the whimper against the pain the action caused. The gashes on his face were still healing and every facial movement outside of neutral hurt. Weasley nodded, going back to is chair.

"Okay, if you say so. Just yell if you need something; Poppy would kill me if you fell and cracked your head open under my watch."

Draco rolled his eyes as he slowly continued his walk to the bathroom. He kept his spine straight, pride outweighing pain and the desire to fold in on himself. From a distance, he looked like his former self, but on close inspection anyone would be able to see the tremble to his body and the layer of sweat covering his upper lip. He could feel Weasley's eyes on him as he let himself into the room, sighing with relief as the door shut behind him.

The blonde let himself fall to the floor in front of the sink once he was locked inside the room, his legs no longer able to support him. He'd never felt this weak before and he hated it. Draco knew he wasn't strong enough to survive the full moon; he'd given up and had no fight left in him. So he decided to take matters into his own hands.

With a shaky hand, he pulled a small razor blade from the hem of his pajama sleeve. He wasn't sure why it had been on Madame Pomfrey's supply tray the last time she changed his bandages, but she hadn't noticed when he slipped it under his pillow when her back was turned. Draco pushed his left sleeve up so his forearm was exposed, taking in the large Dark Mark for the first time in a long time.

He hated the Mark; had hated it from the day he got it. The ceremony had been excruciating and he had been forced to torture the old Muggle Studies professor until the Dark Lord had been satisfied. Once that was over, his uncle and father had held him to the ground as the Dark Lord burned the Mark to his skin. He had thrashed and tried to scream, the pain worse than any jinx he had ever experienced. Finally it was over and Draco was left panting on the dungeon floor as the seasoned Death Eaters left the room. He had curled in on himself, sobbing silently until his mother came to find him.

Now, sitting on the bathroom floor, the Mark was still so ugly to him. It was a reminder of everything he'd done wrong and that reminder wasn't going to go away. Even more ugly was the brand burnt into his wrist, the flecks of silver glimmering in the faint light.

Taking a deep breath, Draco pressed the blade just below the middle zero of his registration number, hissing at the feeling as he broke the skin. His hand shook as he drug the blade up his arm, through the Dark Mark, and into the crook of his elbow. Tears were prickling his eyes, the salt burning the healing gashes on his face. Blood poured from the wound, covering the ugly Marks in his skin. He dragged the razor down his arm twice more before moving to the other arm. Being his non-dominant hand, the cuts to his right arm weren't as deep.

His head started to swim, the loss of blood hitting his quickly. He lifted his arm close to his face, watching as the blood puddled on the ground beneath him. Draco dropped the razor blade clasped weakly in his hand before collapsing to the side. If he was going to die, he was going to do it on his terms.

****  
Harry cocked his head to the side, listening for the bathroom door to click shut before returning to his conversation with Ron. He could hear his friend drop back into the chair he had abandoned and soon the taller boy had his feet propped up onto the edge of Harry's bed.

"Is he...How is he? Malfoy?" Harry asked, leaning back onto the pile of pillows behind his back. He idly rubbed at the bandage wrapped around his right thigh, the pain keeping him somewhat grounded.

"To be expected, I guess. He's been pretty quiet since the ministry officials left...Not that he was too talkative before. The full moon keeps getting closer and I think he's scared. Can't blame him, really. Did you know Percy is working for the Registration of Magical Creatures Department?"

"How would I know that?" Harry asked tiredly.

"Well he was one of the officials that came to do Malfoy's registration. Bill said the git looked close to pissing himself with excitement about branding him with silver. It's sick."

"Branding?" Harry repeated, his stomach clenching at the thought.

"Yeah, did Remus never show you his?" Harry shook his head, pressing his lips together. "Oh, well I was there when he showed Bill after...Well, you know. Bill has one, too, since he's considered a dormant werewolf. They burn it into their wrists and it's infused with silver so it won't fade..."

"That's barbaric," Harry said, swallowing thickly.

"Yeah, I know. The Death Eaters still have control of most of the ministry and they apparently think it's necessary. And you know Percy...If there's a rule, he wants to enforce it."

Harry stayed quiet, shifting further down into the bed. His leg was throbbing with his heartbeat, the muscles twitching painfully. He dug his fist into his leg, sighing when Ron reached over to pull his hand away.

"Are you in pain? Do you want me to get Pomfrey?" Ron asked, and Harry hated the concern in his voice.

"I'm fine," Harry assured him. "Apparently this is going to be my new normal and if I started drugging myself every time my leg twitches I'm going to be useless. Tell me about the war. What's going on? Have we figured out what the Death Eaters want?"

"Bellatrix wants to continue were You Know Who left off. The trace on his name is still in effect even though he's gone. They've continued to raid safe houses and attacking those who have supported the Light. It appears they have some cure they're trying to carry out that can increased Bellatrix's power and insure that the Dark wins. It's been pretty much all hands on deck with researching what exactly this spell needs; 'Mione's driving everyone nuts 'cause she can't figure it out."

"Wonderful..." Harry mumbled. "I feel useless. I should be helping you guys. If nothing else I could be helping with research but I can't fucking see anything."

"I know, dude. But seriously, you've done so much already. Let us take care of it from here," Ron said, and Harry could hear the passion in his best friends voice. Harry had just opened his mouth to respond when Madame Pomfrey's voice interrupted him.

"Mr. Weasley, can you please check on Mr. Malfoy for me? He's been in the bathroom for quite a while and you know how weak he is," the nurse asked, placing her hand on Harry's shoulder to let him know she was there. Harry flinched as she gently pulled the blanket back to expose his leg. "I need to change Harry's bandages. They should have been done yesterday but I got pulled away for new injuries from the latest battle."

"Oh, um, yeah. I can check on Malfoy." Ron said, and Harry could hear the chair screeching across the floor as the red head pushed back from the bed. Harry idly could hear Ron crossing the room as he tried to focus on anything but the pain as Madame Pomfrey slowly pulled back the bandage on his leg.

"It's really healing well,' the nurse said, her cold hands gently probing the deep wound in his thigh. "Do you want anything for the pain before I start to clean it out. I'm sure it's still tender."

"I'm fine," Harry whispered, letting his head fall away from her as he listened to Ron.

"Malfoy?" He called, gently knocking on the door. He waited a minute before knocking again. "Malfoy, are you okay in there? You didn't fall and crack your head open on the sink did you?" Harry twitched, an uncomfortable feeling welling in his stomach. "Come on, Malfoy. Just answer me."

"Is the door locked?" Madame Pomfrey asked from were she was rewrapping Harry's leg. "I told him to leave it unlocked in case he fell."

"Yeah, it is. But I can just...Alohomora!" Harry heard the bathroom door swing open, flinching when Ron cursed. "I...Madame Pomfrey hurry. There's so much blood..."

Harry pushed himself up onto one arm, trying to figure out what was happening as the nurse left his side. He could hear Poppy yelling at Ron to get towels and potions, instructing him to carry Malfoy back to his bed.

"What's going on?" Harry yelled, trying to get someone's attention over Poppy's healing spells. He could feel the crackle of magic in the air, sparking around him. No one answered his questions for a long time, heavy footsteps running back and forth in front of his bed, leaving Harry confused as to where everyone was. "Will someone answer me? What happened?"

A calloused hand grabbed his arm as Harry tried to fling his legs over the side of the bed to get up. Ron spoke quietly in his ear.

"He tried to kill himself. Bloody slit his wrists on the bathroom floor..."

****  
Narcissa paced the floor of her small bedroom. She supposed she should be thankful that her sister had given her a room rather than placing her in the dungeons with many of the other followers of the Dark Lord. Narcissa was far from thankful, though.

She had been trying to get to Hogsmeade, her grip on Draco's hand so tight she was sure she was hurting him. They had to get to an Apparation point as soon as possible. She knew from the second that the Potter boy fell from the half-giant's arms that all Hell was going to break loose and she needed to get Draco away from it all as soon as possible.

People were running around with no real target, screaming as spare curses hit the stone of the castle. Narcissa had been able to hear Lucius screaming her name as she pulled her son along, but she refused to wait for him. It was his fault they were in this mess in the first place; it was his fault her baby, her only child had been branded by some mad man.

"Mother, wait," Draco yelled, trying to slow her down as she ran. "Shouldn't we stay... Shouldn't we help?" She pulled him close to her, keeping her voice low and just loud enough for Draco to hear.

"I lied to the Dark Lord," she whispered. "I made it so Potter had this chance. Should Potter succeed, then maybe we'll have nothing to worry about. But should he not, do you know what the Dark Lord will do to us?" Draco paled, nodding his head. "Then we have to move. Now, Draco."

They ran toward the bridge, the Apparation Point in view. Narcissa heaved a sigh of relief as their exit grew closer but then a crowd of people were pushing their way past. She felt Draco's hand slip from hers, the crowd keeping them apart.

"Draco!" She yelled, trying to push her way through the mass of people to find her son. She had spun around, looking in vain for the white blonde hair through the crowd. "Draco!"

Narcissa yelped when a hand grabbed her arm. She turned to see her sister, a mad glint shining in Bellatrix's eyes.

"Come along, Cissy," she purred into her sister's ear, her wand pressed to Narcissa's neck. "I have just the place for you..."

"No, but Draco! I have to find Draco," she cried, trying to wrench her arm out of Bellatrix's grip.

"It's too late for Draco. But you will be coming with me." Bellatrix had drug her to the Apparation point, disappearing with a pop before the Dark Lord's body hit the ground.

Narcissa was being held as a prisoner. She wasn't allowed to leave the house; she was hardly able to leave her room. She was forbidden from attending the Death Eater meetings Bella held in her dining room and she had heard them refer to her as the blood trader. From what she heard, Lucius had been captured by the Auror's and was once again being held in Azkaban.

But she didn't care what happened to her deadbeat husband. What she cared about was Draco.

She had begged her sister to find Draco, raising her voice to be heard over Bella's maniacal laughter. Even if he was dead, she just wanted to know where he was. It was the only thing keeping her going.

"That boy is worthless, Cissy. You spoiled him and he couldn't complete the simplest task. I don't know where he is, but if he knows what's best for him he'll be dead," Bellatrix had spit at her, shoving her into the bedroom before slamming the door.

As Narcissa continued to pace the floor, she saw an owl flying towards the Manor. It swooped down into the dining room, delivering it's letter before taking to the air again. Narcissa gasped, running to the bared window as she tried to coax the bird to return to her. The bird circled the sky several times before dropping, squeezing through the bars into the room.

"Oh thank Merlin," she whispered, running to the small desk to find a quill and a bit of parchment.

_Professor McGonagall,_

_I know I do not deserve your mercy, but I implore you to listen to me now. My sister has truly lost her mind and believes that she will be the next Dark Lord. She has began to hold court in one of our properties outside of Devonshire. She's holding me prisoner and I have not been allowed to attend any of the meetings in the home._

_What I have gathered, though, is that she plans on performing a blood ceremony to strengthen her own magic. The ceremony is Dark Magic, as I'm sure you've assumed. I fear that she may try to capture the Potter boy to use as a sacrifice. I heard several of the fallen Death Eaters talking of plans of attacking the castle to get what they want._

_I know you have no reason to believe me, no reason to trust what I say. But I promise you, Minerva, I did what I can to help Potter. Draco and I both did. I was separated from my son following the Battle of Hogwarts and my sister has refused to look for him. I can only assume he has passed. But if he were still here, he would want me to do what was right. The Dark Lord ruined our life for years. It's time to do the right thing._

_I am well aware that Severus played the role of double agent for years; I'm more than willing to take over his role. Anything I can do to help the Light. Please, let me help._

_-Narcissa Black_

****  
Draco woke slowly, his veins feeling like they were burning him alive. He let out a heavy sigh as he realized his attempt to end the pain hadn't worked. He raised a hand to rub over his face, his eyes flying open we he realized he was tied to the bed.

"What?" He gasped, pulling at the white restraints wrapped around his wrists. White bandages covered his forearms to his elbows, drops of blood soaking through the bandage on his left. Draco pulled more forcefully at the straps, groaning in pain as he did so.

"Malfoy?" A voice called quietly. Draco cursed under his breath as he realized Potter was awake. It was hard to tell with the bandages wrapped around his eyes, but there was no one else in the room who could have spoken. "Malfoy, are you awake?"

Draco didn't respond, trying desperately to do wandless magic to get himself out of his restraints. He hadn't done any magic since the attack, but he had to do something. He hated feeling trapped, especially now. His movements stilled as he watched Potter scoot himself to the edge of the bed, his bare feet resting on the cold floor.

With a determined look on his face, the Boy-Who-Lived pushed himself to his feet, gasping as he swayed slightly. From across the room, Draco could see the pain pass over the boy's face as he put weight on his bad leg. Gripping onto the bed post, Potter slowly dragged himself towards Draco's bed.

"If you fall, Potter, I'm not going to be able to help you. They've got me tied to the bed and Merlin only knows when Poppy will be back," Draco called, his voice shaking slightly as Potter drug himself along. He was as far as he could holding onto his own bed and seemed to be using Draco's voice to determine how far way the next hand hold was.

"You tried to kill yourself," the brunette said, swaying slightly as he took a step unaided.

"I'm serious, Potter. Get back in your damn bed!" Draco yelled, his eyes wide as Potter leaned forward to catch the foot rail of Draco's bed. Even blind the boy had Sneeker reflexes. He patted around his surroundings before finding the chair Bill had left beside his bed, pulling himself tiredly into it. Draco watched as the boy panted, trying to catch his breath as he dug his fist into his right thigh.

"You tried to kill yourself," Potter repeated, his voice slightly shaking. "Why did you try to kill yourself?"

Draco pulled at the restraints again, wanting to be anywhere but tied to a bed being forced to talk to the Savior of the Wizarding World. Potter just waited silently, his head tilted to the side as he tried to listen. Finally Draco sighed.

"My life is over anyway, Potter. Not only am I a Death Eater, but now I'm a fucking werewolf. I'm so weak I can barely walk to the loo and back without my legs going out and in less than two weeks I'm going to turn into a fucking monster who howls at the moon. If that doesn't kill me, my lunatic aunt will finish the job. And say I do survive the full moon and my aunt becoming the next dark witch trying to take over the world, what am I supposed to do with my life now? It was going to be hard enough finding a fucking job as a Death Eater. Adding werewolf to the resume isn't going to help me at all. So what if I wanted to be able to control something in my life. So what if I wanted to end it on my own terms rather than letting the fucking monster in my veins tear me apart under the full moon? Why would you even care, Potter. You hate me."

Harry sat still, his spine painfully tight. He could hear Draco panting next to him, his speech leaving him even more exhausted. Slowly and tentatively, he reached a shaky hand out, finding Draco's arm. He gently squeezed his arm, feeling the bandages wrapped around it. Draco hissed, pulling against the restraints to get away.

"Don't touch me," he hissed, and Harry pulled his hand away quickly. He opened and closed his mouth several times before clearing his throat.

"I don't hate you, Malfoy," Harry said quietly. "This doesn't have to be the end of your life. Just because you got dealt a shitty hand doesn't mean it has to be over." Draco snorted, but Harry pushed on. "I can speak in your favor when this is all done. I can be a reference for any job you want. I'm sure once the war is over the werewolf registration will be discontinued. I can help you."

"I don't need your pity, Potter. I don't want to be another hero complex project for you. And besides, even if they do end the registration, it won't matter. My number is burnt into my skin infused with silver so it will never fade. Just below my Dark Mark. A reminder of every fuck-up I've ever done." Draco watching Harry's face, the worry and pity making his stomach ache. "If you really want to help, you can untie me."

"I can't. Poppy got called away on an emergency and it's only me here. I can't see you and I'm not going to let you run off and do something that stupid again. I'm sorry." Draco growled, pulling forcefully at the straps again. His wrists killed and the blood seeping through the bandages was getting darker every time he pulled.

"Damnit, Potter!" He yelled, glaring at the boy on the chair next to him.

"Please, Malfoy, just wait until Poppy or Bill get back. I'm not saying I don't trust you not to run off and try to kill yourself again. But I don't trust you not to run off and try to kill yourself again. I don't want that on my conscience."

"What do you care if I kill myself, Potter?" Draco sighed, letting his head flop back on the pillow. He was exhausted even though all he'd been doing lately is sleep. Potter sighed next to him, leaning forward in his chair to grip Draco's arm again. Draco didn't have the energy to shake him off again.

"You may have made a lot of mistakes, Malfoy," Harry said quietly. "But you're not unforgivable. I know you did what you did to stay alive. Can't you do that for just a bit longer?"

Draco swallowed thickly, his eyes prickling slightly. He thanked Merlin that Potter couldn't see the tears welling in his eyes. Clearing his throat, Draco sighed out a quiet "fine."

"Good. Um, Poppy left you a Dreamless Sleep if you want it?" Draco watched as Potter gently patted around the night stand next to his bed before gripping a vial. Draco nodded slightly, cursing when he realized Potter couldn't see him.

"Um, yeah, I'll take it. But if you aren't going to untie me, your going to have to give it to me. I can't reach my face." Potter nodded, pulling the stopped from the vial. Patting his way up the bed he found Draco's shoulder, then his neck, then his chin. Draco shivered slightly at the touch, ducking his head to meet the vial. He watched as Potter placed the vial back on the night stand, leaning back on the chair. "Are you going to make it to the bed without falling?"

Potter smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "I was going to crash in this bed until someone got back. I'm exhausted and didn't want to risk it." He turned on the chair, feeling his way to the bed next to Draco's. Draco watched the pain cross his face as he heaved himself onto the bed, the change in position clearly sending a shock of pain through his bad leg.

Draco watched Potter as he tried to get comfortable, his own eyelids getting heavier as the seconds ticked past. Just before he slipped under the effects of the potion, he heard Potter whisper good night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! So sorry for the delay; work and depression naps have been taking over my life. I hope to update soon!


	4. Chapter 4

Draco sat staring at the smoking goblet in front of him, his last Wolfsbane Potion before the full moon that evening. The taste wasn't awful, he'd gotten the other six down just fine. But this one. This last one meant it was real. That in a matter of hours he'd be locked in a cage as he turned into an animal. He couldn't help but think if he didn't drink it, that night wouldn't come.

"You have to drink that, Mr. Malfoy," Poppy called as she stalked past his bed to Harry's, a collection of bandages in her arms.

"I know," Draco said quietly, finally picking up the goblet and drinking the potion in one go.

"Good boy," she said, and Draco couldn't miss the grin on Potter's face. "Bill will be here shortly to take you down stairs. Try to get a bit more rest before then and I'll get you a strengthening potion just before you leave."

"Okay," he said, flopping down on his pillow, watching as the nurse fussed over the Boy Who Lived.

"I know you don't want to take the painkillers, but Harry this is getting ridiculous," Poppy clucked as her swift fingers unwrapped the bandage on his leg. From where Draco slouched on his bed, he could see the death grip Potter had on the bed and the way his face twisted in pain. There were still bandages wrapped around his eyes, but if there weren't Draco was sure he'd have them squeezed shut.

"I'm fine," Harry croaked, clearly not fine.

"No, you aren't. And I must insist you take something, Harry. You're going to lose your mind if you don't. I will force it down your throat if I have to," she said, shocking both Harry and Draco.

"Fine..." Harry finally relented, taking the potion she pushed into his hand. He winced as he swallowed the potion, sighing as he handed it back. "It's just after the Dreamless Sleep..."

"I know, dear. We'll keep track of this, okay? We won't let that happen again."

Draco watched as Harry's face started to relax, his grip slack on the bed. The nurse gently unwrapped his leg, cleaning it out with a flick of her wand. She wrapped his leg tight, her voice low as she talked to the boy in a tone Draco couldn't here. After she was done, she covered him back up with the blanket.

"I think your eyes are as healed as they're going to get for now, Harry, so I'm just going to take the bandages off. Okay?" Poppy asked quietly, her hand hesitating near his head.

"Oh, um, yeah. That's...that's great," Harry said quietly, freezing as Madame Pomfrey slowly unwrapped the bandages. He repeatedly blinked his eyes, his whole body sagging in disappointment.

"Are you okay, dear?" Poppy asked and Harry plastered a fake smile on his face.

"I'm fine...I just had kind of hoped you were wrong and that once the bandages were off..." Draco flinched on his bed, understanding where the boy was going with his statement.

"I wish I was wrong on this one, Harry," she said gently, patting his arm slightly before leaving him alone. She summoned a small vial to her as she crossed the room, hovering over Draco. "How are you feeling, Draco?"

Draco swallowed thickly as he took the vial from her. The strengthening potion spread through his body quickly, shaking off some of the fatigue weighing him down.

"I'm...I'm okay," he said, passing the vial back to the nurse.

"Are you ready for tonight?"

"As ready as I guess I can be. I don't really have much of a choice." Poppy gave him a tense smile before squeezing his arm.

"Billy will be with you the whole time. As soon as you change back, he'll have all the potions you may need; pain, blood replenishing, strength. He'll get you back here as soon as possible. You've taken all seven doses of the Wolfsbane Potion, you should be able to stay in your own mind as much as possible. If you can, Draco, try to stay as calm as possible and rest once you transform. It will be okay."

"I don't know if I can do this," Draco whispered, his eyes wet as he looked up at the nurse.

"You are so much stronger than you realize," Poppy whispered in response. "You can do this, Draco. I know you can." The pair looked up when someone cleared their throat to see Bill standing in the door leaning on a wheelchair.

"It's almost time, Draco," the redhead said as he pushed the chair to the bed. "I thought we'd go down a bit early, just to make sure you're comfortable." Draco swallowed thickly as he moved to the edge of the bed. He squeaked slightly as Billy scooped him up and dropped him gently into the chair. "You should save your strength. Just let me take care of it."

Draco sat back heavily in the chair as Billy pushed him towards the door. The eldest Weasley paused when a voice called out.

"Malfoy!" Harry said, his blind eyes turned towards the pair. "Good luck."

"Thanks...Thanks Potter."

***  
Bill flicked his wand to lead the chair down the stairs, taking care not to tip him out of it. Once they reached the dungeons, he put his wand back into his pocket as he pushed Draco to the farthest dungeon. Bill swung the gate to the last pen open, grunting as he pulled open another smaller cage inside.

"Okay, here we go," Bill mumbled as he scooped Draco up and out of the chair. Draco failed to swallow the whimper that escaped his lips at the pain that shot through the bite in his side. "Shh, I know. I'm sorry."

Bill gently lowered him onto the collection of blankets in the corner of the cage. Bill gently wrapped him in a blanket, brushing his hair out of his face. Draco trembled under Bill's hands, his heart beating out of his chest.

"What's that?" Draco asked with a low voice as Bill scooped a metal contraption from the floor. Bill looked at him with a sad smile as he crouched down in front of him.

"A muzzle. It'll keep you from nipping at yourself while your changed. Remus said even when he was able to stay in his own mind he'd still end up biting at himself and that's when we came up with this. I'm gonna put it on you know; it'll look kind of foolish now but once you change you'll fill it out. I'll teach you how to put it on and take it off after you've gotten to rest some. I'll deal with it today." Draco swallowed thickly before he nodded his head.

"Yeah, okay. Just do it," he said. Bill gently fit the muzzle over his head and locked the buckles behind his neck. He stared down at the scared blond, taking in his pale face and the angry red scratches stretching across his cheeks.

"Is that too tight?" Bill asked, pulling on the mask slightly. "We don't know how big your wolf is going to be so I don't want to make it too night. This was Remus' and he was a bit bigger than you so there's a pretty good chance your wolf will be smaller. But we wont know until it's too late and I'm not going to be able to get close to you to take it off."

"It's fine. How much longer?" Draco asked quietly as Bill pulled the blankets around him further.

"Probably about another twenty minutes," Bill said and he squeezed Draco's arm before letting himself out of the cage. He locked the smaller door before sliding the main cell door closed. Bill lowered himself into the wheelchair, wrapping his hands around the bars as he raised his voice. "Just try to stay calm, Draco. It will be over before you know it."

Draco curled in on himself as much as possible, hissing as the cold metal off the muzzle dug into his skin. The feeling of burning alive from the inside out he'd been feeling since he was bitten was intensifying with every breath he took. He whimpered at the cramping rocking through his body, his eyes trained on the small window at the top of the cell as the sunlight got smaller and smaller.

"You're okay, Draco," Bill called, moving closer to the gate. He raised his voice, repeating the words of comfort as the sun finally went down.

At first Draco thought nothing was going to happen. The fever burning through his veins reached its peak but nothing else happened. He had lifted his head slightly and turned to face Bill when it happened. His bones started shifting, his knees breaking as his legs lengthen. Claws burst from the end of his fingers and toes, and thick hair started bursting through his skin. His face shifted into a snout, not quite filling out the muzzle strapped to his head. The pain was blinding as his spine twisted and lengthened.

Once the transformation was finally complete, he paced the cell anxiously. His body ached and he tried to stretch out his cramped limbs. As he crossed the window the moon hit his eyes and Draco couldn't swallow the howl that escaped his lips.

"Come on, Draco. Just lay down, it's okay," Bill called, trying to keep his voice airy and calm as the blonde wolf in front of him paced. There was a bloody welt on his side that Bill knew was from the bit still healing on his human form. There were also missing tuffs of fur across his face matching the welts. The wolf thrashed his jaw and let out a high pitched whine at the muzzle that slid around his face. "Just lay down, Draco. You need to rest."

Draco moved closer to the smaller cage door, his head tilted in confusion. He reached one clawed hand to the gate towards Bill, snarling. When his hand passed through the bars he could feel his skin burning. He let out a whimper as he pulled his arm back quickly, howling slightly.

"It's silver, Draco. Do you understand me?" Bill called slightly, crouching down in front of the outer cell. "It's to keep you safe and inside. Just try not to touch it, okay? Just lay down."

Draco whined slightly but moved back to the pile of blankets he had abandoned when he shifted. He curled in on himself, favoring his burnt arm. He whined as he tried to lick at the burn, his mouth trapped by the muzzle.

"That's it, Draco," Bill said gently, dragging a tired hand over his face. He checked his watch and let out a heavy sigh. It had only been twenty minutes. They had the whole night to go.

***  
Madame Pomfrey woke Harry from a fitful sleep around 5:30 that morning. He blinked furiously trying to clear the darkness before he remembered once again that he was blind. With a huff he dug his fist into his leg to soothe the twitching muscles.

"What time is it?" He grunted as the nurse pulled his hand away from his injured leg.

"It's early, dear. Just after 5:30. Bill should be bringing Draco back shortly and I wanted to take care of you before I got distracted with him." Harry grunted his understanding as she pressed a vial into his hand.

Harry had fallen asleep earlier that evening to the sounds of Draco's howls from the dungeon below him. He had tried to stay awake, wanted to be awake in case something went wrong but the potions Poppy had been filling him with each night had lulled him to sleep just after Draco's second howl.

"Have you heard anything? How did it go?" Harry asked over Poppy's murmured scanning spells. When she finally concluded she sighed and sat on the edge of Harry's bed.

"Bill sent his Patronus a couple hours ago. He's been restless; he spent most of the night alternating between pacing and fitfully trying to rest. That's all I know for now. Now, enough about Draco. How are you? You looked like you were having a nightmare when I woke you. Care to tell me about it?"

"I...It wasn't about You-Know-Who," he said quietly, the nickname feeling foreign on his lips after years of insisting of calling the man by his true name. "It was about Malfoy...About the night of the final battle when we got stuck in the Room of Requirement. It was the last time I was able to...Able to see him." Madame Pomfrey pat his arm gently as if gesturing for him to go on.

"When Crabbe set the room on fire, Ron and I recused Malfoy and Goyle. We found some brooms and were trying to fly out. I made Ron go back for them and I got Malfoy and Ron got Goyle. But in my dream...I was trying to get out and Malfoy fell from my broom. I could hear his screams ringing in my ears like it was real. That would have been such a horrible way to die, but maybe...Maybe he wouldn't be suffering as much as he is now had we not gone back."

"Harry, you are one of the bravest men I have ever meant. I know you never would have been able to leave him like that. And while Draco is suffering now, but we're going to help him through it. It won't be this bad forever."

"He tried to kill himself," Harry argued, blank eyes staring forward. "He died to slit his wrists in the bathroom barely more than a week ago. As much as we want to help, how much can we if he doesn't want it?"

"We just have to be patient," Poppy whispered, patting his leg as Bill burst through the Hospital Wing's doors.

"Poppy!" He yelled, crossing the room quickly to lower Draco gently to his bed.

"How is he?" The nurse asked as she met them at Draco's bed. She waved her wand over his body, scanning for any new injuries.

"I gave him a Dreamless Sleep as soon as he switched back," Billy said, gently helping Poppy pull his hospital gown back on. "He burnt his right arm on the silver gate and seemed to favor it the rest of the night. I didn't try to look at it after, just got the muzzle off and got him up here."

Poppy turned Draco's arm gently, sighing at the angry red welt on the outside of his wrist. With a flick of her wand she summoned a healing salve and gently applied it to the wound.

"But everything else went okay?" Harry called across the room and Bill and Poppy both jumped as if they forgot he was there.

"The muzzle was too big on him," Bill said gently, sighing when Harry flinched. Remus would never let Harry see him during the Full Moon and it was obvious how little he knew about the transformation process. Bill gestured at the small scrape across the bridge of the blonde's nose. "It kept him from nipping at himself but it was sliding around all night and rubbing at him. We'll need to get him a smaller one before next month. But outside of that, everything was okay."

Harry sighed in relief, his fist absently digging into his leg. He closed his eyes, focusing on Poppy's soothing voice as she finished healing Draco as much as she could. Harry jumped slightly as a big hand landed on his shoulder.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Bill said quietly. "I think he's going to be okay. The first moon is supposed to be the hardest. He'll get stronger, be able to go through the steps by himself if he has to. He'll be okay." Harry sighed, nodding as he slowly fell back to sleep.

***  
Draco regained consciousness around dinner. He moaned as he rolled onto his back, grimacing at the new bandage wrapped around his wrist. He tried to stretch but his whole body protested.

"Malfoy?" A voice called across the room and Draco recognized it as Potter's. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," Draco grunted, wincing. He heard Potter murmur something and looked up in time to see a stag Patronus run out of the room.

"They were able to fix my old wand with the Elder Wand after You-Know-Who died. I think Poppy has your wand..." Harry said, moving to the edge of his bed.

"Stay in your damn bed, Potter," Draco moaned, curling in on himself as the brunette pushed himself to unsteady feet.

"I'm fine, Malfoy. Seriously, you're the one who went through hell last night." From his curled up position, Draco watched as Harry limped across the space between their beds, his face scrunched in pain slightly. "I need you to say something. Don't let me go the wrong way."

"Why are you doing this?" Draco said just loud enough for Harry to follow, sighing when the boy dropped heavily onto the chair next to his bed.

"Because...You and your mom helped me win that final battle. You proved yourself to be trustworthy and you shouldn't have to deal with all of this alone."

"I have Bill," Draco argued, shifting slightly.

"You need more than just one person," Harry said simply with a shrug. Draco opened the door to argue when the door to the Hospital Wing swung opened.

"Oh, good, you're awake Mr. Malfoy. I was hoping to only have to have this conversation first," Professor McGonagall said as she approached the boys, a chair following her down the isle.

"What's going on, Professor?" Harry asked, swiveling on his chair to try to figure out where she was. She placed a hand on his should, squeezing slightly as she sat down.

"It's time to move you two to a safe house," she started, hesitating before continuing on. "We were able to regain Sirus' home, Harry, and to cast a new Fidelius Charm. As the house was left to you, it seemed the best choice."

"I...Do I have to go back there?" Harry whispered with a broken voice and Draco furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Unfortunately, there's no place else, dear. I promise if there was I would not ask this of you." Harry nodded his understanding. He swallowed thickly before continuing.

"Who's the Secret Keeper?" He asked, rubbing restlessly at his leg.

"I am," McGonagall said. She pulled a small piece of parchment out of her robes and handed it to Draco. He took it with a shaky hand and read the familiar script that was on all of his Transfiguration essays.

_12 Grimmauld Place, London._

"Do you have it, Mr. Malfoy?" The Headmistress asked and he furrowed his brow before nodding. She took the parchment back and burnt it with the tip of the wand. "Good. Harry, I have to renew your permission. Since you can't see, I'm going to whisper in your ear, okay?"

Draco watched as the Boy Who Lived swallowed thickly and nodded. He closed his eyes as McGonagall leaned forward and whispered the address in his ear. Harry nodded as he let out a shuddering breath.

"Good. Now we are going to move you both in the morning. Hermione and Bill will be coming to help. Molly has offered to meet us out the house to help you both get settl-."

"No!" Harry cut her off, flinching slightly at his own tone. "I'm sorry. It's just...she'll just worry and it's really overwhelming and..."

"I understand, Harry," She said, patting his arm again as she gave Draco a small smile. "I'll ask her to something else tomorrow. I will be there, though, to make sure everything does smoothly and that you'll both be comfortable. Now, you both should get some rest. Draco, you've had a long day and tomorrow will be another long one as well."

Draco nodded, watching as McGonagall pulled Harry to his feet and led him back to his own bed. Once satisfied that they were both set for the evening, she bid them farewell and left in a swish of robes.

Draco waited until he had finished his supper before glancing over at Potter. The boy sat with his head leaned back and his eyes closed. It was only his fist digging into his injured leg that let Draco know he was awake.

"Potter?"

"Hmm?" Harry said in response, his head tilting towards Draco but his eyes remained closed. He assumed it didn't matter anyway.

"This place we're going...What is it?" Harry sighed before finally opening his eyes. His milky eyes met Draco's from across the room before he answered.

"The Noble House of Black. It's mine now, but I guess it belonged to your mom's family. It used to be our safe house. It...I don't really have good memories associated with it. It's...I guess you'll just have to see."

"Oh..." Draco said, smartly letting it go.

"Malfoy?" Harry said after a long gap.

"Yeah?"

"I guess I'm glad to not have to go back there by myself...And I'm glad your okay after last night..."

"Oh, um...Yeah. Thanks? I think?" Harry gave him a small smile before laying back on his bed. Draco snorted, pulling the book Bill had left him about werewolves close to his chest and cracking it open.

 


End file.
